}}</ref> is a chemical that attracts biting insects such as [[mosquito]]es. It is contained in human breath and sweat, and it is believed that [[insect repellent]] [[DEET]] works by blocking the insects' octenol [[odorant]] [[receptor (biochemistry)|receptor]]s.<ref name=petherick>{{cite journal |first=Anna |last=Petherick |title=How DEET jams insects' smell sensors |journal=Nature News |date=2008-03-13 |url= http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080313/full/news.2008.672.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315162356/http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080313/full/news.2008.672.html | archive-date=15 March 2008 |url-status=live |doi=10.1038/news.2008.672 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ditzen M, Pellegrino M, Vosshall LB | title = Insect odorant receptors are molecular targets of the insect repellent DEET | journal = Science | volume = 319 | issue = 5871 | pages = 1838–42 | date = March 2008 | pmid = 18339904 | doi = 10.1126/science.1153121 | bibcode = 2008Sci...319.1838D | s2cid = 18499590 | author3-link = Leslie B. Vosshall }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Syed Z, Leal WS | title = Mosquitoes smell and avoid the insect repellent DEET | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 105 | issue = 36 | pages = 13598–603 | date = September 2008 | pmid = 18711137 | pmc = 2518096 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.0805312105 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

 

This alcohol is found in many other mushrooms where it may play a role as an [[antifeedant]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Wood | first1 = William F. | last2 = Archer | first2 = Cynthia L. | last3 = Largent | first3 = David L. | year = 2001 | title = 1-Octen-3-ol, a banana slug antifeedant from mushrooms | journal = Biochemical Systematics and Ecology | volume = 29 | issue = 5 | pages = 531–533| doi=10.1016/s0305-1978(00)00076-4| pmid = 11274773 | bibcode = 2001BioSE..29..531W }}</ref>